Coat hanger



- E. MARGOLIN March 10, 1959- COAT HANGER Filed Nov. 16, 1956 INVENTOR. IZZY M M BY I United States Patent COAT HANGER Efraim Margolin, New York, N. Y. Application November 16, 1956, Serial No. 622,643

1 Claim. (Cl. 223-85) This invention relates to an improvement in garment hangers, more specifically a device for preventing such hangers from accidentally falling off the rod from which they are suspended.

It has frequently been a complaint of housewives and others that when a closet becomes nearly full a garment being removed from the closet pulls two or three others along with it. This causes the garments to fall to the fioor, become dirty, wrinkled and so forth. Furthermore, especially when a heavy garment such as an overcoat or the like is placed upon a hanger, the hanger becomes very difiicult to move and a person of moderate strength has to exert a considerable amount of effort to push such a garment to one side.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a garment hanger which will slide axially along the suspending rod with very little effort regardless of the weight of the garment upon it.

It is also among the objects of this invention to provide a garment hanger which once suspended from the rod will not he accidentally dislodged to fall to the floor.

It is still further among the objects of this invention to provide a garment hanger which will enable one desirous of removing a single garment from the rod, to do so without fear of dislodging others adjacent to the one to be removed.

In practicing this invention there is provided a hanger comprising a substantially horizontal cross bar, a sleeve located a substantial distance above the upper surface of the bar, and a vertical element passing axially through the sleeve and in vertically slidable relation thereto.

In the preferred form of this invention, the vertical element is rigidly embedded in the horizontal cross bar, and pivoted from the end furthest from the cross bar is a detaining bar. A tongue extending outwardly and upwardly from the upper edge of the sleeve bears against the aforementioned detaining bar. Also, extending upwardly and outwardly from the upper edge of the sleeve is a hook-shaped suspending member designed to fit over the suspending rod in the closet. Axially mounted upon the upper horizontal portion of the suspending member are a plurality of rotatable bearings, spherical in shape. These are adapted to roll as the hanger is pushed along the suspending rod, and to minimize the friction attendant thereon.

The sleeve, together with its projecting tongue and its suspending element, is so interfitted that when the hanger is suspended from the suspending member, the sleeve is forced upwards along the vertical element causing the tongue to bear against the underside of the detaining arm which pivots upward preventing the hanger from sliding off the rod.

When the hanger is lifted off the rod, the weight of the garment on the hanger no longer holds the detaining bar in the closed position, but the sleeve is permitted to slide downward allowing the detaining bar to pivot in the same direction, thus opening the hook and permitting the hanger to be removed.

In one modification of the aforementioned invention, the sleeve is dispensed with and the vertical element is slidably mounted on the cross bar. The detaining bar is mounted on a pivot at one end of said bar, which is integral with the horizontal cross bar and extends through a slot in the vertical element. Thus the sliding motion of the vertical element with relation to the cross bar and hence to the pivot point, causes the detaining bar to assume the open or closed position.

In a second modification of the aforementioned invention, the sleeve is rigidly embedded in the horizontal cross bar while the vertical element is slidably mounted therein. The suspending member is afiixed to the vertical element and the detaining bar is also pivoted thereto. The detaining bar extends on both sides of the pivot and one end passes through a slot in the tongue extending upwardly and outwardly from the upper edge of the sleeve. This end of the bar is provided with a transverse pin which extends beyond the edges of the slot and serves g to lock the bar permanently therein.

Thus, when the garment is placed upon the hanger and the hanger placed upon the rod, the weight of the garment causes the vertical element to slide upward in relation to the fixed sleeve. The slotted tongue detains one end of the detaining bar causing it to pivot upward, closing the hook and securing it as before. Upon lifting the hanger off the rod, the reverse occurs permitting the detaining bar to fall to the open position and allowing the hanger to be removed.

Still another modification of the aforementioned invention comprises the use of a vertical element rigidly atfixed to the cross bar. This element is pivoted at a point between the ends of said element and also at the end furthest from the horizontal cross bar. The vertical element is angularly inclined from the vertical, from the point at which the centrally located pivot is placed. In addition, from this same centrally located pivot there extends an element inclined from the vertical in a direction opposite from that in which the vertical element leans. At the end of this element furthest from the central pivot, a secondary pivot is mounted. The detaining bar and the suspending hook are pivoted from the ends of the vertical element and the element aforementioned. The detaining bar and the supporting hook are in addition to being pivoted at one end, also pivoted with relation to each other at a point between their ends. The entire arrangement operates on the principle of the extensible tongs so that as the hanger is placed on the supporting rod, the secondary pivots move toward each other, causing the detaining bar to move into the closed position.

In the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof, and in which like characters represent like parts,

Fig. l is a side elevation of the hanger as it would appear on the closet rod;

Fig. 2 is a fragmented view showing a modification of the device in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective detail of the form of mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of a second modification of this invention, showing the detaining bar in the closed position;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of a third modification of this invention, showing the detaining bar in the closed position;

Fig. 6 is a section taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

This device comprises a hanger which is composed of a horizontal cross bar 2 holding a garment 3. Embedded fixedly in horizontal cross bar 2 is a sleeve 4 carrying tongue 5 and having a lower flange 17 fitting into the upper face of recess 18 in bar 2. In axially slidable relation thereto is vertical element 6 to which suspending member 10 is aflixed. Vertical element 6 also carries a detaining bar 8 pivoted at 9 and having an extended portion 7 on the opposite side of said pivot 9 from said bar 8. Tongue is provided with a slot 14 and overhanging end 7 carries a transverse pin 13 which serves to lock detaining bar 8 in position.

suspending member 10 has mounted on it spherical bearings 11 kept in place by ridges 22 and 23 which permit easy sliding along rod 12.

Referring more specifically to Fig. 2, vertical element 6 is slidably mounted on cross bar 2 and is provided with a flange 26 at the lower end to prevent vertical element 6 from sliding out of its mounting. Detaining bar 8 (shown in full lines to indicate the open position and in dotted lines to indicate the closed position) is mounted on pivot 25 which is formed by projection 24 and extends through slot 9. Projection 24, for simplicity in manufacture, is made integral with hanger cross bar 2.

Referring to Fig. 4, vertical element 19 is rigidly affixed to horizontal cross bar 2 by means of an expanded portion 20 fitting in opening 21. Pivoted at 9 is detaining bar 8 against which tongue 5 affixed to the upper edge of sleeve 4 bears. Also affixed to the upper edge of sleeve 4 is suspending member 10 carrying spherical bearings 11 as hereinbefore described.

Referring to Fig. 5, a further modification of this invention comprises horizontal cross bar 2 into which is rigidly mounted vertical element 35 having an angular portion 27. From pivot 28 extends element 29 which carries on the end opposite pivot 28, a secondary pivot 31 corresponding to another secondary pivot 30 which is carried on the end of vertical element 35 furthest fromcross bar 2. Detaining bar 32 is pivoted at 31 to vertical element 35 and at 33 to supporting hook 36. Supporting-hook 36 is pivotally connected with element 27 by pivot 30 and carries on its upper end. 10 spherical bearings 11.

In operation, when the suspending member 10 is hooked over the closet rod 12 the weight of the garment 3 causes sleeve 4 to slide downward with respect to vertical element 6. Slotted tongue 5 forces end 7 of detaining bar 8 to pivot downward resulting in detainingbar- 8 assuming the position shown in Fig. 1. When it is desired to remove the hanger from the rod, it is raised vertically so that suspending member 10 no longer contacts the closet rod 12 thus permitting vertical element 6 to slide downward with respect to sleeve 4. This permits' detaining bar 8 to pivot downwardly about 9. Thus the hanger may be removed when desired.

The first modification of this invention is operated by raising-the-hanger- 1 vertically so that the weight of the garment 3. no longer is on closet rod 12. This causes vertical element 6 to slide; downward with respect to horizontal cross bar 2. Slot 9 as a result of thismotion assumesthe, position shown in, Fig. 2, carrying with it detaining bar; 8, which-pivots about 25. At this point the detaining baris open; and the hanger can be removed. When it is desired to place a garment in a closet, the

supporting hook portion 10 of vertical element 6 is placed over closet bar 12 and the weight of garment 3 is permitted to hang from supporting hook 10. This causes vertical element 6 to slide upward relative to horizontal cross bar 2. Slot 9 also rises relative to pivot 25, causing detaining bar 8 to move into the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In operation, the second modification of this invention operates in much the same way as the first described embodiment. The suspending member 10 is hooked over closet rod 12 as before causing, by the weight of the garment 3 vertical element 19 to slide downward with relation to sleeve 4. Tongue 5 bearing against detaining bar 8 causes it to assume the position shown in Fig. 4. To remove the hanger it is simply raised above the closet rod 12 which causes vertical element 19 to slide upward with relation to sleeve 4 thus permitting detaining bar 8 to pivot downward.

The operation of the third modification of this invention is somewhat similar to that of the other modifications. When the Weight of the garment 3 is suspended from the suspending hook 10, it causes element 29,, suspending arm 36, and detaining bar 32 to pivot about pivots 28, 3t), 31 and 33, causing the end 34 of detaining bar 32 to assume the position shown in Fig. 5.

In order to obviate the possibility of rotation of the sleeve and associated members in a horizontal plane, it is best to form these members of a non-circular horizontal cross section, one example of such is shown in Fig. 6 in which both sleeve 4 and vertical element 6 are rectangular in shape.

While only four specific embodiments of this invention have been described, it is not necessarily limited to the precise disclosures but such changes as may be obvious to one skilled in the art may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. Therefore, the specification is to be broadly construed and not to be limited except by the character of theclaim appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

A garment hanger comprising a substantially hori zontal cross bar, a vertical member mounted thereon in slidable relation thereto and forming a suspending member having a free end adapted to fit over a supporting rod, said vertical member having a vertical slot therein, a detaining bar pivoted at one end on said cross bar, said detaining bar having an intermediate portion thereof passing through said slot, the free end of said detaining bar being located on the same side of said vertical member as the free end of said suspending member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,705,276. Weiss Mar. 12, 1929 2,409,538 Brill et a1 Oct. 15', 1946 2,556,461 Baron June 12, 1951 2,671,938 Roberts Mar. 16, 1954' 2,693,303 McGhie Nov. 2, 1954= 

